Procurement Team Lead

Job Title: Procurement Team Lead

Location: Port of Grangemouth

Hours: 35hr contract - 0800-1600 or 0900-1700 (Hybrid)

At Forth Ports, we keep trade, logistics, and infrastructure moving. Every day, our teams support the flow of goods, materials, and services that businesses and communities rely on, helping to power economic growth across the UK and beyond. Our people are at the core of everything we do, and their expertise, commitment, and innovation drive our success.

With our commitment to reach carbon neutrality by 2032 and Net Zero by 2042, we're investing heavily in sustainable and digital technologies, including major growth in offshore wind and greener port operations. For you, this means joining a business that's evolving, ambitious, and making a real difference.

About The Role

As Procurement Team Lead, you will be responsible for leading and developing the Procurement team while delivering strategic and operational procurement support across the Scottish operation. Reporting to the Head of Procurement and Supplier Sustainability – Scottish Operation, you will drive procurement excellence through effective supplier management, contract negotiation, spend analysis, and continuous improvement initiatives. The role plays a key part in ensuring procurement activities are compliant, cost-effective, and aligned with business objectives, while fostering strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external suppliers.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead and manage relationships with key suppliers and internal stakeholders, including the negotiation of contracts and agreements which balances quality of service and value for money
• Analyse data driven from the Purchase to Pay (P2P) system to identify opportunities for cost savings, process efficiencies and achieve procurement synergies across the Scottish Operation
• Ensure all procurement activity and contractual arrangements comply with the Company’s statutory obligations, health and safety legislation and the relevant internal policies and governance standards
• Coordinate and facilitate regular team meetings and training sessions to review workload allocation, monitor performance, and identify opportunities for process improvement and operational efficiency
• Adopt a continuous improvement approach for the Procurement service provided to the Scottish Operation and actively identify and implement opportunities to enhance service delivery and procurement performance
• Support the development of the Procurement team by identifying training needs and ensuring appropriate learning and development opportunities are in place to build capability and ensure effective job performance
• Provide proactive support to the Head of Procurement and Supplier Sustainability – Scottish Operation, contributing to strategic initiatives, cross-functional projects, and acting as deputy when required

What we're looking for:

We are looking for a proactive and collaborative leader who is passionate about delivering an effective procurement service and driving continuous improvement. You will be committed to developing your team, building strong working relationships, and balancing strategic priorities with operational delivery.

This role requires regular travel to other Scottish ports, with occasional travel to Tilbury and other UK locations as required. A full UK driving licence is essential.

The role requires office presence five days per week during the initial onboarding period, with the flexibility to work remotely for up to two days per week once fully established in the role.

Skills & Qualifications:

• Proven experience operating at Category Lead level within a procurement or supply chain environment
• Ideally will be CIPS qualified or actively working towards CIPS certification
• Previous supervisory or team leadership experience, with responsibility for guiding, developing, and managing team performance
• Strong decision-making skills, with the ability to analyse complex information and make sound, timely judgements
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage and negotiate effectively at all levels
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including senior and executive management.
• Highly proficient IT skills, particularly in Microsoft Excel and Word, with the ability to analyse and present data effectively
• Experience working with Purchase-to-Pay (P2P) systems and associated procurement processes
• Full driving licence, valid in the UK to travel between Scottish ports
• Full UK working rights

What Forth Ports can offer you

At Forth Ports, our people are our priority, and we are committed to creating a flexible, open, and supportive working culture. As part of our team, you will enjoy

• A competitive salary
• Discretionary bonus
• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Defined contribution pension scheme with up to 16.5% joint contribution plus life assurance at 4x salary
• In‑house Occupational Health — Provides professional workplace health advice, support, and guidance for employees across all sites
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) — Delivered through Health Assured , offering 24/7, 365‑day confidential wellbeing support via the Wisdom app or telephone access, covering mental health, financial advice, legal guidance, and emotional wellbeing
• Physiotherapy Support — Access to physiotherapy sessions through three external providers in Scotland, plus an onsite physiotherapist once per week in Tilbury
• An annual Christmas thank you gift of a complimentary turkey or meat-free alternative for all employees
• GymFlex health club memberships offering discounted access to gyms including Nuffield Health, PureGym, Anytime Fitness, The Gym Group, and selected local gyms
• Cycle to Work scheme to support affordable, sustainable commuting
• On-site free parking available for all employees
• Attractive family-friendly policies, including enhanced maternity cover
• Employee discount platform providing savings on UK-wide restaurants, retail, car rentals, days out, and holidays  

We value diversity and inclusivity, and we are an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds and will consider all applications for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability status.

As a signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant, we are committed to ensuring that members of the Armed Forces community are treated fairly and are not disadvantaged in their civilian careers because of their service.

We welcome applications from veterans, reservists, cadet force adult volunteers, and military spouses/partners, and we actively support flexible and inclusive recruitment practices.

How to Apply:

Please submit your CV and a cover letter when submitting your application via the ‘Apply Now’ link.

Required Criteria

• Proven experience operating at Category Lead level within a procurement or supply chain environment
• Previous supervisory or team leadership experience, with responsibility for guiding, developing, and managing team performance
• Full right to work in the UK
• Full driving licence, valid in the UK

Desired Criteria

• Ideally will be CIPS qualified or actively working towards CIPS certification

About The Company

Over our 50 years of experience we have witnessed our ports grow to become important assets to support and deliver growth both for the UK and local economies.

The growth impact has been achieved due to the continued investments in our infrastructure, making sure that our ports are able to continually develop their services and support the growth of many industries.

Our people have played a significant role. They have delivered the highest quality of service through their expertise, loyalty and flexibility and, without them, we could not have built the strong reputation and the long term agreements with many customers that we have today.

Company Culture

Welcome to Forth Ports Careers. As a leading port operator, we employ over 1,100 people across our ports in Scotland and the Port of Tilbury in London.

A career in a port business is very rewarding. There is real variety within each role and significant opportunities for promotion and career development. Don’t just take our word for it; view the “Some of our People” section and the video below to gain insight into the kinds of jobs our employees do, how they’ve grown with us, and what motivates them each day.

The port business can be seen as a barometer for the economy and this drives us to be adaptable and fast paced as we identify new business opportunities.

Company Benefits

We are committed to creating a positive working culture for all employees, as well as a good work-life balance.

Here are just some of the benefits of working for Forth Ports.

Vacation, Paid time off, Paid sick days, Retirement plan and/or pension, Employee discounts, Gym membership or wellness programs, Cycle to work, Competitive salary, Employee Assistance Scheme

Salary

Not disclosed